SHARE

Two Poughkeepsie Library Volunteers Receive Honors

POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y. -- Two longtime volunteers with Friends of the Poughkeepsie Public Library are being honored with 2016 Adriance Honors awards during an Oct. 17 event at Locust Grove Estate in Poughkeepsie.

Gail Brittain is being honored for her volunteer work for the Friends of the Poughkeepsie Public Library.

Gail Brittain is being honored for her volunteer work for the Friends of the Poughkeepsie Public Library.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Larry Hughes and Gail Brittain are set to receive awards at the event that also serves as a 40th anniversary celebration of the Friends of the Poughkeepsie Public Library. Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison and his wife, Lori, are honorary chairs of the event.

Tickets are $60 per person and are available by calling the library at (845- 485-3445, ext. 3371 until Oct. 14. Deadline to buy tickets is Oct. 5, but officials said some may be available after that date.

Brittain has served on the Friends' board for 10 years and chaired the book sale committee for the past seven years. She also heads the operation and development of the Friends' Book Store, which opened in 2015. 

She retired from a 35-year career at Dutchess Community College where she taught math and chaired the department for 10 years. She has a bachelor of arts degree in math from Wheaton College in Illinois, a master’s degree from University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a graduate university certificate in education from SUNY Albany. 

Hughes serves on boards of several community organizations including Friends where he has served for the last seven years on several of its committees. A Queens native, he moved to Poughkeepsie following his Army service including two years in Vietnam.

He's worked in radio and as a writer for the Poughkeepsie Journal, where he earned several awards, before working in public relations for St. Francis Hospital, now MidHudson Regional Hospital. 

The celebratory event also will recognize its 16 previous presidents for their service to the all-volunteer organization that supports the district’s programs and services. 

These are the previous presidents planning to attend the event:

  • Zeke Mavadones (1979-1980, 1994-1997), 
  • Ann Pinna (1998-2001),
  • Frank Van Zanten (2001), 
  • Suzanne Christensen (2005-2007), 
  • Jackie Klein (2008-2010),
  • Pat Breen (2011-2014), 
  • George Mann (2015-2016). 

to follow Daily Voice Southwest Dutchess and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE